More than meets the eye: New Royal Mail research reveals UK’s online shopping returns habits

New research commissioned by Royal Mail into consumers’ returns habits for online shopping, found that over one in ten online shoppers (12 per cent) have returned internet purchases because they look different to the pictures they saw online.

New research commissioned by Royal Mail into consumers’ returns habits for online shopping, found that over one in ten online shoppers (12 per cent) have returned internet purchases because they look different to the pictures they saw online.

The study suggests that UK shoppers may fall victim to the widely reported “that dress” syndrome, where people reported seeing different colours when looking at the same dress.

The research also found that 20 per cent of those who returned an item purchased online over a six month period did so because the quality was not what they expected.

And it doesn’t take long for Brits to make up their mind. The findings revealed that half of those who had returned an online purchase did so within three days of receiving the item.

Last year, Royal Mail launched a new Returns Portal, to help online retailers better manage customer returns, by giving them full visibility of items as they make their way back to warehouses and stores.

The portal captures information on the specific items being returned, the customer making the return and the reason for the return, therefore improving stock management.

Royal Mail’s returns portal also aims to improve the online shoppers’ returns experience, as customers have the ability to easily print off a returns label, post their item at one of over 11,500 Post Office braches and monitor the progress of the item being returned.

New research commissioned by Royal Mail into consumers’ returns habits for online shopping found that over one in ten online shoppers (12 per cent) have returned an internet purchase because they look different to the pictures they saw online.

The study suggests that UK shoppers may fall victim to the widely reported “that dress” syndrome where different people saw online photos of the same item of clothing in different colours. This mismatch between perceptions is in part responsible for online returns, as the bedroom increasingly becomes the new changing room for many consumers choosing to try on clothes in the comfort of their own home.

The research also found that 20 per cent of those who returned an item purchased online over a six month period did so because the quality was not what they expected. However, the main reason for returning an online purchase was the “fit”, with 36 per cent of consumers interviewed claiming to have sent an item back because it didn’t fit.

It also emerged that consumers were very quick to make up their mind once the item arrived. The study found that half of those returning an item bought online did so within three days of receiving the item.

Patrick Fagan, Consumer Psychologist and Lecturer, London College of Fashion said: “That dress and more recently the jacket, showed us just how varied human colour perception can be especially when clothes are viewed online. It may well be that many online shoppers see the items they order completely differently once they arrive and suddenly realise that they have made a mistake. In addition, more and more consumers are looking to try on clothes in the comfort of their own home, where they are in control of the lighting and can team them up with their own accessories to get a better idea of how suitable the item is.”
Last year, Royal Mail launched a new Returns Portal, to help online retailers better manage customer returns by giving them full visibility of items as they make their way back to warehouses and stores.

The portal captures information on the specific items being returned, the customer making the return and the reason for the return, therefore improving stock management.

Royal Mail’s returns portal also aims to improve the online shoppers’ returns experience, as customers have the ability to easily print off a returns label, post their item at one of over 11,500 Post Office branches and monitor the progress of the item being returned.

Last year, Royal Mail’s Delivery Matters research found that just over half (56 per cent) of consumers returning an item bought online found it easy to do.
Nick Landon, Managing Director, Royal Mail Parcels said: “The ease of returning an item is a key part of a customer’s overall online shopping experience. We know from talking to online shoppers that a large number of people read the returns policy before deciding where to buy. We have pulled out all the stops to be able to offer a solution through our Returns Portal and our Tracked Returns products that meets both the retailer’s and consumers’ needs.”